Fountain mop or swab



Patented Nov. 1l, 1924.

FFME

WALTER B. KNOX, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOUTAIN ivr'oi on swAB.

Application med May 5, was. serial No. ceases.

T52 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER B. KNOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsyl- Vania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fountain Mops or Swabs, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- :uitv description.

The presentV invention relates broadly to niopsand more particularly to 'fountain riops or swabs especially adapted for use in the cleaning of automotive vehicles.

Considerable di'iiiculty is frequently encountered by the average automobile owner in attempting to thoroughly wash his car. This is due not only to the splashing of the water, but to the inaccessibility of certain of the parts and the likelihoodV of scratching. This invention is directed to a' fountain mop or' swab'ad'apted to be expeditiously attached to' an operating handle thereby permitting different heads to be quickly attached to a given handle for vuse on different parts of theear, such as the body and chassis or running gear. At the same time, the body of the' and the water supply thereto cooperate to prevent undue splashing and insure loosening of acciunulated dirt and removal there-of without scratching.

`In the accompanying drawings, there are shown for th'e purposes of illustration only certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it being understood thatv the drawings" do' not vdefine the limits of my invention and that changesmay be made in the' construction and operation illustrated with-out departing fromthe spirit of the invention or scope of my broader claims.

in the drawing:

.Figure 1 r isa perspective View of one form pv constructed iii accordance with this is a perspective view of the mop retrieved from the ,handie; F'gur 3 a perspective View of the handle' 'ts'elf 4 is top' pla-n view' of theY cons tri't'ion illustrated in Figure l, the handle bein "illustrated in dotted lines', in position witlnfri'themp head;

Figures 5 and 6 are Vdetail views of the Headleng'aging portion of the handle g Figu Gi'liaving aligllarity of the handle;

vupon itself to provide a Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4, illustrating a slightly modified construction.

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional View on the line VIH-VIII of Figure 4f;

Figure 9 is a detail view on an enlarged scale illustrating a portion of the mop'n head construction Figure 10 is a view similar to `Figure 3, illustrating a modified form 0f handle: and

Figure ll. is a View similar to Figure l0 illustrating still another 'form of handle.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a mop head2, of a construction comprising-a selvage or edge, having a passage 4 extending longitudinally therethrough and provided with a plurality of vthreads or strings of cotton or other'material 5, arranged in substantially regular formation. This head may conveniently be constructed in strip form which is wound plurality of closely adjacent convolutions'. These convolutions are then secured in postion, whereby the head constitutes a self-sustaining unit adapted to be removed or applied when either wet or dr as will be hereinafter more fully apparent.

As illustrated in Figures l to 6, the handle for use with the head may conveniently comprise a tube or pipe 6, having a coupling member 7 at one end adapted to be connected with a hose or other source of water supply. The opposite end of the handle is bent into generally hook shape, to constitute a headengaging portion `for the mop. The headengaging portion may be provided with a series o perforation's 8, adapted to uniformly deliver to the portion of ,the mop head engaged thereby a supply of cleaning water.r

yIn order to facilitate the escape of, water from the selvage 3, this selvageis" preferably so stitched or secured as to lprovide oirits under surface between theA strings 5 afseries of spaced openings 9. .It will be apparent that as these openings 9 are entirely enclosed by the mop head, the splashing of water is'l prevented. At the same time', the water is directly delivered to the point of use with sufficient force and in suiiicient amount to effectively remove any` foreign; material without' scratching the' inish of the'v vehicle.y

` of the longitudinal passage in the In certain instances, it may be desirable to deliver the cleaning Water throughout substantially the entire length of the longitudinally extending passage l. It will be apparent that it is not feasible to form the head-engaging port-ion of the handle of such length that it will, when in position Within the head, be substantially coextensive with the length of the passage. Such a construction Would malte it extremely diflicut to apply and remove the head. To overcome this difficulty, the head may be formed with a supplemental tube l() of suflicient length to extend through the longitudinal passage in the inner convolutions and to receive the end 1l of the head-engaging portion of the handle. This tube 10 may be of any de- Sired material and may conveniently be formed with openings 12 similar to the openings 8, insuring uniform distribution of the Water.

i With the construction described, it will be apparent that in order to apply the head 2 to the' handle, it is only necessary to grip the same in one hand, grip the handle in the other hand, and then move the head-engaging portion of the handle into the passage by producing a relative turning movement between the head and handle similar to that required for performing a nut-applying operation t0 a screw-thread.

By making the length of the head-engaging portion slightly greater than one-half the peripheral length of the outer convolution of the mop head, the head hrmly secured in position against any accidental removal, While at the same time, easy removal thereof When the head is either Wet or dry is made possible.

In Figure l0, there is illustrateda slightly modified form of construction in which the handle 6 is provided at its lower end With a coupling 13, carrying both a head-engaging portion il, which may or may not be perforated` as desired, and a supplemental Water supply l5. rlhis Water supply l5 may be so arranged as to deliver Water directly into the central opening I6 of the mop head.

In Figure Il, the coupling 13 is shown as provided with a nozzle I5, and with a solid rod or Wire lil. adapted to engage a portion mop head. In this construction, the entire supply of Water is'delivered through the nozzle la and the Wire lll serves merely as a supporting and sustaining member for the mop.

The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of an improved form of mop head of unit construction secured in such manner as to provide a series of spirally extending convolutions forming a compact self-sustaining head and facilitating application and removal thereof from a suitably shaped handle.

Further advantages arise from the provision of a handle adapted to be quickly threaded into position in the head or removed therefrom and having means for delivering a supply of cleaning Water directly to the point of use.

Still other advantages arise from the pro vision of a compact head of this character adapted to be quickly removed or applied, Whether wet or dry, and having suliicient body not only to serve effectively for the removal of foreign material from the vehicle, but also to prevent any undue splashing and consequent soiling of clothes or interference With surroundings or passersby. The

ater pressure efficiently removes all dirt and grit from the mop strands, thereby preventing any scratching and also increasing the period of usefulness of the mop.

I claim:

l. In a mop, a head comprising a flexible body having a tubular passage therethrough, said body being Wound upon itself to form a plurality of closely adjacent oonvolutions firmly secured in spiral formation, and a handle having a head-engaging portion of less length than said passage adapted to slide into said passage by a relative turning movement of the head and handle, substantially as described.

2. In a fountain mop, a head comprising a flexible body having a tubular passage therethrough provided With a plurality of escape openings, said body being Wound upon .itself to formV a series of closely adjacent convolutions firmly secured in spiral formation, and a tubular handle having a head-engaging portion adapted to be in serted into said passage by a relative turning movement of the head and handle, for de livering Water to said openings, substantially as described.

3. In a fountain mop, a head comprising a flexible body having a tubular passage therethrough, a conducting tube permanently secured in a portion of said passage, said body being` Wound upon itse f to form a plurality of closely adjacent convolutions firmly secured in spiral formation, and a tubular handle having a head-engaging portion adapted to slide into said passage by a relative turning movement of the head and handle, the end of said head-engaging portion cooperating with said tube to deliver Water thereto, substantially as described et. In a fountain mop. a head comprising a flexible `body having a tubular passage therethrough and having a plurality of closely arranged cleaning strands, said body being Wound upon itself to form a plurality of closely adjacent convolutions firmly secured in spiral formation, and a tubularhandle having` a head-engaging portion of materially less length than the length of said passage adapte-d to slide into said passage by a relative turning movement of the head lll() and handle, said head-engaging portion having a series of Water-delivery openings formed therein, substantially as described.

5. In a fountai'n mop, a compact head comprising a body of cleaning material Wound and secured upon itself to form a series of closely adjacent eonvolutions, said body having a passage through at least a portion thereof, and a tubular handle having a perforated head-engaging portion adapted to be operatively engaged With said body by a relative turning movement of the head and handle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

VALTER B. KNOX. 

